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What with all the intense work going on due to the imminent release of a new Necron codex, I decided to update the paint scheme on my necrons. After looking around and not being able to find purple rods to just update the Gauss weapons, I decided to re-paint the warriors a metallic blue and ordered some translucent blue acrylic rod to replace the green rods that came with them originally. This is how they looked before I started the update.



As I was re-painting them, I decided to use the chestplates as squad identifiers, so had the option of turning my 30 warriors into a squad of 20 and a squad of 10, 2 squads of 15 to fit into the flyer transports, or 3 squads of 10 to fit into the ghost arks. This was the option I went for, after all I can surely add more warriors later if it looks like the flyers are a viable option - and if they look good enough!

However, the rod that arrived was significantly lighter than that shown in the catalogue, and I am now left in a quandry. Do I leave the rod lighter, as it was delivered, or do I darken it with transparent blue paint?


This is how I received the rod, just cut to length to fit in the weapon.


And this is with a coat of transparent blue.

I like either of them about the same, but consider the darker one as too dark, whislt the lighter one is too light (probably).

Please let me know what you think, as all rods in the army will eventually be the same, but I might yet add a design to the outside to tie them in with the new stuff, such as the 'rods' on the immortals or deathmarks.

I love that metallic blue, how did you get that effect? Is there some metallic blue colour that I haven't seen or did you use a wash?

As for the rods, I prefer the darker one as it is to be honest. You want something dark and unfriendly for Necrons.

I've experimented with Metallics myself in the past and I love coloured metallics - perfect for 'crons.

I think the blue rod is better, makes it stand out more. If you think it's too dark try a Turqouise clear maybe (if you can find one - glass paint may do the trick) - or just find a lighter blue?

Perhaps dilute the clear blue with some flow-aid/matte medium or similar to make it slightly more transparent without beading. That should get you a mid-point. If you would prefer to stick with simplicity, I'd say the darker blue, as the other one looks clear, frankly.

Oppl wrote:I love that metallic blue, how did you get that effect? Is there some metallic blue colour that I haven't seen or did you use a wash?

The metallic blue is quite simple. I just gave the 'armour' areas a basecoat of Mithril Silver and let it dry. The first Necron I tried using a Tamiya transparent blue, the colour I used to darken the rods, but it seemed too thick and was very hard to control with a brush. so I gave up on that and re-basecoated him silver again.

Whilst that was drying, however, I made a mix of Asurmen Blue wash and some "Kleer" floor polish by Johnson's (I believe that it has a different name in the States) of about 2/3 Blue and about 1/3 polish. This was then just brushed over the silver in about 3 coats, using an old hairdryer to dry it off between coats.

The chest pieces were done using the same technique, just substituting red or purple wash for the Asurmen Blue. I decided to leave a silver 'collar' around the neck, just to make it stand out a little more.

I now have squads of 10 ready for Ghost Ark transport in purple and red. Don't particularly want to do blue as it would get lost as the rest of them are done that colour, and that really only leaves me green - plus gold and silver - so may just get some of Tamiya's transparent orange and try that, but will definately have to thin it more, maybe use Tamiya thinners not the polish.

Thanks for letting me know what you think all of you.

The metallic blue is very nice - not sure, how I fell about the purple metallic yet.

Cheers,


IK-Painter